@article {9722,
	title = {A component in the Scottsbluff Tradition: Excavations at the Niska Site},
	journal = {Canadian Journal of Archaeology/Journal canadien d{\textquoteright}arch{\'e}ologie},
	volume = {9},
	year = {1985},
	pages = {001-037},
	abstract = {<p>The Niska site (DkNu-3) is situated in southwestern Saskatchewan, about midway between the towns of Ponteix and Aneroid. Cultivation and subsequent wind erosion have resulted in the disturbance and exposure of a substantial Paleo-Indian component here. A number of artifacts, obviously related to the Cody complex, were collected here in the 1970\&$\#$39;s and early 1980\&$\#$39;s by a local avocational archaeologist, Henri Liboiron. These tools included two stemmed projectile points, four Cody knives, and numerous endscrapers (several with lateral spurs). Testing of this site area by Saskatchewan Research Council archaeologists in 1982 resulted in the identification of some remaining areas of intact Paleo-Indian occupation. Since these archaeological remains appear to be of considerable significance and as they were in danger of disturbance due to cultivation and wind erosion, a small-scale excavation was conducted here in May of 1983. Two ares of in situ Paleo-Indian occupational remains were exposed. These remains were positioned within a well-defined paleosol in an area of aeolian sand deposits. Three projectile point stems were found in the course of excavation as well as six endscrapers, a combination perforator/concave uniface and much debitage. Like the tools, the latter was of fine-grained siliceous materials, including brown chalcedony (Knife River Flint), porcellanite and jasper. Faunal remains were numerous, albeit fragmentary; the latter condition a result of deliberate breakage by the site occupants, followed by deterioration through time. Those remains which could be identified to species were all bison. One of the excavation blocks exposed much of a well defined habitation area, centred on a concentration of burned and calcined bone fragments which is interpreted as a hearth location. A knapping area was situated on the north side of this hearth while an endscraper, a point stem fragment and many raw bone fragments on the south side of the hearth provide evidence of other activities there. Flecks and larger bits of a red paint material were scattered across the habitation area. Raw bone from this excavation block has been dated to 7,165 B.P. while a paleosol sample has dated at 7,000 B.P. These dates are considered to be at least a millenium too recent. While the Niska site assemblage is obviously within the \&$\#$39;Scottsbluff Tradition\&$\#$39;, the style of its projectile points differentiates it from described complexes such as Cody and Little Gem. Questions remain, therefore, regarding the dating of this Paleo-Indian component and its cultural relationship to other complexes in the Scottsbluff Tradition.</p>},
	author = {David Meyer}
}
